 By Kermit Rowe, Encompass Relationship Facilitator A recent email blast from Family Life came into my inbox asking a question that immediately caught my attention: “Between you and your spouse, who is the one who typically wins arguments?”
The go-to gut reaction for many of us tends to be a lengthy (or maybe not so lengthy) review of the scorecard we tend to keep of our most recent series of arguments – at least the ones we remember. Why is it so important that we win? Because we want things to go our way, and we are willing to forfeit temporarily a little bit of peace and harmony to get what we want. Besides. nobody likes to lose. Right? That led me to another question: “When we win, do we really win?”
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Each week in November we'll be sharing stories from grateful couples who have seen their family trees forever changed through growing in relationship skills. This week we hear from Darnell and Bekah, participants in the RINGS Experience course for couples.   The Encompass Outreach Group is going through a blog series on the 5 Love Languages! For our last week, in this series we're excited to hear from Kristen Davis on gift giving. By: Kristen Davis Gift giving is one of my love languages. I typically don’t like telling people this because it can be assumed that receiving gifts is just as important to me. Well, as much as I do enjoy receiving a gift, I’d much rather bless another person. It is, after all, much better to give than receive. I am blessed to be a blessing, and this ultimately fuels my gift giving.
 The Encompass Outreach Group is going through a blog series on the 5 Love Languages! Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on different love languages, the impact they have on our lives, and how we can fill others' "love tanks!" By: Lavern Nissley There is an all too familiar Physical Touch occurrence of something Ronda, my wife, does in our bedroom that usually takes my breath away. It begins with my awareness that she is slowly moving in my direction. Suddenly, her cold feet make contact with me, and I experience an "ice bucket challenge" moment. She knows that my love language is Physical Touch but doesn't seem to understand "not THAT kind of touch!"
 The Encompass Outreach Group is starting a blog series on the 5 Love Languages! Over the next few weeks we will be focusing on different love languages, the impact they have on our lives, and how we can fill others' "love tanks!" By Tessa Stump My love language is Words of Affirmation. I need to hear that I am loved, doing a good job, and wanted. I have learned to recognize that people love me in lots of different ways. But I have to say, there is something special about someone speaking my language!
If you know someone who’s love language is Words of Affirmation, I hope one of these 3 ways will inspire you to speak their language!  By Encompass Outreach Group While sex is a topic that many people tend to avoid talking about openly, it is an important part of a marriage. It also presents many benefits for both you as an individual and your relationship as a whole. However, sex is different in each relationship and depends on the specific couple. Here are the reasons why sex is important in a marital relationship:
 By Cindee Johnson Have you ever run out of gas? It was just a year ago when my husband Dave and I did. We had a lot of life happening. Between buying a house during a worldwide pandemic, caring for critical needs of an aging parent, and managing my own health concerns, we failed one day to notice just how low our gas tank had dropped. Once we did, it was too late. As we pulled to the side of the Interstate, realizing our mistake, we had a good laugh. So did our daughter and son in law when they came to rescue the parents.
But, that wasn’t the first time in our relationship we dangerously were running on empty. And, then, it was no laughing matter.  By Kermit Rowe The finale of Encompass Connection Center’s recent Valentine’s Day virtual Gala, attended by 126 supporters and beneficiaries of our 16-year-old relationship ministry, featured staff member Jenny Hamilton and her husband, Mike, doing a touching rendition of the wildly successful worship song “The Blessing.”
It led me to think deeply about the blessing of holy matrimony, and what the Bible says about it. Obviously, the blessing of having my wife Nancy in my life the past 40 years quickly came to mind. She has been a constant blessing. But I also know that the word “blessing” is used so loosely in today’s culture, that its true meaning can easily be cheapened or even lost.  By Kermit Rowe I like to call it “The Flip.” It is as unnatural as it is powerful. But if a couple can make “The Flip,” then the future growth of their relationship and happiness takes an upward trajectory.
What I am speaking of is a change of focus in our relationship. If we are honest, when we enter a relationship with a significant other, we do so with the expectation that this person will make us happier in our life. We love them, but a big component of that love often is how that person makes us feel. But what if we changed our approach, turning to a divine truth to transform our relationship and home?  By Lavern Nissley So, how’s that for a blog post title just over a week before the day of love? Yet, it truly reflects my heart on the emphasis of singling out one day a year for an inferior type of love that has a truly bizarre origin.
Go ahead, please click through to hear me out. Then watch the brief video at the end about a Virtual Date Night we're planning for couples February 14, 7-8 pm. |
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Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
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Program content is the sole responsibility of Encompass Connection Center and does not necessarily represent the views of the funders.
Encompass Connection Center services are provided to all eligible persons on a non-discriminatory basis. Encompass Connection Center complies with all applicable laws and regulations concerning discrimination does not discriminate on the basis of the potential participant's race, gender, gender orientation, age, disability or religion.
Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 37-1485217